Web 2.0: The Machine is Us/ing Us

Professor Wesch’s video "Web 2.0: The Machine is Us/ing Us" is a powerful visual representation of the ideas put forth in the Cortney text. While the original creation of the Web was based on input only from programmers, as it has developed, the Web has become more collaborative. The Web is now more grounded in user content. The “machine is us” because of this collaboration and user content focus. However, the “machine is using us” because without the user, it is unable to grow and expand. I struggle with this because the machine does not exist beyond the users. The Web does not have an independent mind of its own so it is really incapable of using anyone. Without the user, there is no Web or machine!